CROPS IN CANTERBURY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 11 January 1911, Page 8

CROPS IN CANTERBURY.

BRIGHT PROSPECTS. {By .Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Christchurch, January 30; The'cersal crops throughout: North Canterbury are ripemug rapidly, tlie past few dgys'of hot weather, and especially the excessive heat experienced on Saturday and Sunday,. having made a ; very perccptibio changa in tho colour of tho wheat. A good deal of reaping and some stacking havo already been done, but .tho harvesting will not be general until this week. The crops aro ripening a good healthy'.colour; and no complain t of rust is heard. The reported appearaiico of the caterpillars in'imost parts of thC:northera district is,'.however, causing anxiety, but the pest- being- yet in an carijvstage of growth 'it'is l hoped that most of the oats and a good deal of tlio wheat will bo harvested before they have developed ill sufficient numbers to do serious harm.' In regard to the mid-Caiiterbury.-dis-trict, a. special correspondent of a local journal states that a careful analysis shows conclusively that , tho condition .of tho country at tho present. time is. infinitely better tbaii was tho caso at a corresponding - period in 1910. Tho cereal and root crops aro much in advance of what they were Inst year, tho former by fully seven bushels per'acre, and there is every reason to expect that prices for tho new season's grain will compare, favourably with tho opening rates' for the harvest of 1910. The priccs at present ruling for fat lambs are better, and in the event of the successful in-gathering .of .the crops, it is safe.to assume that tho'season result more advantageously to farmers than its predecessors. i_ *.